History Repeats 3
by CaptainS10
Summary: Artemis III and Sam try to make strides in their relationship, and Artemis II gets permission from the People to recreate the C Cube. What will happen?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Holly

"Duck!"

I ducked just as the lead goblin fired off another shot, and it whizzed over my head.

"Cover your eyes," I yelled, pulling out a stun grenade. "Otherwise this will hurt."

My comrades covered their eyes, and I chucked the grenade at the lead goblin as hard as I could. It hit him right between the eyes, and exploded. He and the dozen other goblins with him were immediately stunned, though it got him the worst.

Me and the other LEP officers accompanying me moved in. In minutes, all of them were shoved in the back of police cars and on their way to Howler's Peak.

I was back in Haven. A few days after the big scenario with Opal (which no one in Haven knows anything about), I got an urgent call from Commander Kelp saying that he needed me back in Haven - ASAP. I was back in Haven a few hours after that, but I was alone. I let Sam stay above ground. Artemis promised he'd watch her for me ( and more importantly, she promised she'd listen to him) I called in to report to Trouble that the mission had been a success.

"Great work, Captain," he said. "Seeing how late it is, go ahead and call it a day."

"Okay," I said, relieved to be getting out of the field. "Thanks, Trouble."

"That's Commander Kelp during work hours, Captain. You know that."

"Yeah, but technically I'm not working right now, since you just sent me home," I said. "How much longer you think you'll be needing me down here?"

"Don't know, Captain. Sorry. Just hang tight down here for the night, and I will call you tomorrow to let you know if your good to go or not."

I nodded. "Okay. Night, commander."

"Bye, Captain. Good night."

I hung up, then turned and started walking back to my apartment. It wasn't too far from here, otherwise I would have got a ride from someone, but it was only a few blocks down so I didn't see the point.

When I got there I pulled out my communicator and called Artemis and Samantha and told them good night, then I went straight to bed.

Nothing like a shoot out against a bunch of goblins to make you tired enough to fall asleep where you stand.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sam

"Watch it, Mud Boy," I muttered, as I pushed one of my classmates out of the path of an oncoming ball. I was on break at the human school, in the thing humans call 'recess'. We were inside today, so they took us to the gym. We were going to play dodgeball.

I remember the first time I played dodgeball when I came to this school, I thought it was stupid and barbaric, not to mention a little violent for something kids in school were being encouraged to play.

Then I tried it. Maybe it was all the things mentioned above, but it was certainly fun. It's especially fun when you're good at it, and I was, which was probably part of the reason I liked it so much.

Besides, when we're in the gym, we're not being forced to do all those stupid worksheets we usually have to do, so like it or not, I wasn't complaining.

A ball whizzed rift past my ear, and I jumped. I turned to see him, my biggest competitor, standing a few inches from the brown line grinning at me.

Guess who it is? My biggest competitor, I mean.

Bingo. Artemis Fowl the third.

We both went to the same school, and we were enrolled in the same grade, but he wasn't in my class, so we were never on the same team. This was probably a good thing for the other teams, as if we were put out there together, we would be unbeatable.

But put us against each other... Well, lets just say that the results aren't pretty.

"Alright, Mud Boy," I growled. "Let's see what you got."

I bent down and picked up the ball that he had thrown at me. I walked forward carefully, batting away a few balls that came flying in my direction as I did so. Artemis had retreated back behind the foul line now, chasing after a ball. I lifted my arm, taking aim carefully.

"Foul line," the coach roared.

I looked around. My team was retreating. I growled and stomped my foot in frustration, but fell back with them. I couldn't stay up front by myself, or I'd be too easy of a target, and I wasn't going to let Artemis beat me that easy.

I backed up against the wall, and Chris came up to stand beside me. "You got a plan?" he asked me.

"Yeah. I'll take care of Artemis, you get rid of Jake. Then all of their go players are out. We'll have the game easy then."

"Okay," he agreed. "Let's do this."

It turned out to not be as easy as it sounded. They were seriously good, but so were we. I knew Artemis and Jake probably were using the same strategy as us, except reversed; take out Chris and I.

We kept it up for awhile, until there was only four people left in the game total: Artemis and Jake on the other team, Chris and I on our team. I knew we had to end this soon, or we'd out of time to finish the game.

I looked at Artemis and made a time-out sign, and he nodded.

Dropping our balls, we met in the middle of the court.

"I'm not giving up; so don't even ask," he informed me, as soon as we got there.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course not. I didn't think you would. I wasn't going to ask that."

"What do you want, then?" he asked.

"What I want," I said, "Is a one-on-one. I'll distract Chris so you can take him out by telling him to take out Jake. Once their out of the way, it will be easier to finish the game."

"Deal," Artemis said. "But don't think it means anything. I'm still going to win."

"We'll see, Mud Boy," I said, flashing him a smile. "We will see."

Our meeting ended, we turned and headed back to our own sides of the court.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Artemis III

I was getting ready to wing a ball at Chris when Sam suddenly looked at me and flagged a time-out.

I nodded a confirmation, and we stepped to the center of the court.

"I'm not giving up; so don't even ask," I told her, as soon as we got there.

She rolled her eyes at me. "Of course not. I didn't think you would. I wasn't going to ask that."

"What do you want, then?" I asked, curious in spite of myself.

"What I want is a one-on-one," she said. "I'll distract Chris so you can take him out by telling him to take out Jake. Once their out of the way, it will be easier to finish the game."

I thought about for a minute. "Deal, but don't think it means anything. I'm still going to win."

"We'll see, Mud Boy," she said, flashing me a smile. "We will see."

Our meeting ended, we turned and headed back to our own sides of the court.

I picked up my ball and turned towards Sam. She had Chris already pulled aside, distracted. I motioned to Jake. Go.

He stepped forward and chucked. Chris looked up at the last second, but it was too late to do anything. It cracked his shoulder. Jake threw it with so much force, Chris stumbled back from the impact.

I felt a pang of guilt; I heard that crack from across the gym, and it had hit bare skin. It was only a game, and the ball was foam, but that didn't make me feel better.

I looked at Sam, she had already loosed a ball towards Jake, who was celebrating his achievement and not paying attention. It caught him in the side of the head. He looked at her, stunned, and she smiled at him. He shook his head and walked off the court.

I looked back at Sam.

I mouthed. She nodded, and I stepped forward.

Now, most people would not play like this; they certainly wouldn't work with their opponents like Sam and I were. But we weren't most people, and we often did things like this. It may seem strange, but it just worked this way for us.

Sam stepped back every time I stepped forward. We kept doing this till I was at the foul line(anyone else get the irony in that?), and she was against the wall.

"What are you waiting for, Fowl?" she asked. "Too scared to throw?"

She always called me Fowl in public; it was easier than explaining what 'Mud Boy' means, as we'd have to make something up because nobody could know about fairies.

"Don't press luck, Sam," I warned her.

"Hard to press something you don't have," Sam said. She threw a ball at me, and I batted it away. I threw my own ball at her, and she slid down the wall. It hit right where her head had been a few seconds before. The ball bounced back to me, and I threw it again. She jumped sideways and bent over to pick a ball up.

Or so I thought.

While she was preoccupied, I turned and bent over to pick up my own ball.

I lost my balance and hit the ground as a ball hit me in the ribs.

"That's the game," the coach yelled. "Recess is over! Line up!"

I rolled over on my back. Sam was standing over me, hand held out, grinning like a crazy person. "I think you just fell for the oldest trick in the book," she told me.

I took her offered hand and she helped me to my feet. "Maybe," I admitted. "That was pretty slick though. How was I supposed to know?"

"Well, well, who's the genius now?" A voice behind me asked. I turned around to see Jake and Chris standing behind us. Jake was the one who had spoken.

"Shut up," I told I looked back at Sam. "Good game. Maybe we could have a rematch later?"

"Maybe," she allowed. "But I doubt it."

"Hey guys," Chris broke in. "We gotta go."

He was right. We were almost the last people in the gym. "Right," I said. "Let's go."

Together, we turned and walked out of the gym.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Artemis II

I was standing over the sink doing the dishes when Artemis and Samantha walked in.

"Hey kids," I said. "How was school?"

"I beat Artemis at dodgeball," Sam announced as she sat down on the table.

I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"

"I tricked him, and he fell for it," she said.

"She got me," my son admitted. "It was pretty slick."

"Oh, I could see it," I said. "After all, some of Holly's tricks were bound to rub off after a while."

"Holly played tricks like that?" Samantha asked, interested.

"She still does," I said. "Not as frequently, but she does."

"When's she coming back?" Sam complained.

"Whenever she finishes what she's doing," I said. "Trouble had some kind of job for her. I'm not sure when exactly; I'm sure she'll let us know as soon as she finds out.

"We'll, I miss her," Sam said. "I want her to come back

"She'll be back as soon as possible," I promised. "I'll tell you what; you guys finish your homework,and I'll take you out to do something. That will help you take your mind off Holly."

"What are we going to do?" Artemis asked.

I figured I'd probably regret it, but I said it anyways. "Whatever you guys want, but," I added quickly, "Try to agree on something."

Before they could respond, my phone rang. I picked it up. "Hello?"

"Artemis," a voice said. Butler.

"Butler, old friend. What do you need?"

"What I need, Artemis, is for you to email me a copy of Juliet's schedule. She lost hers, and mine is at the manor because I didn't think to bring it.

"Hmm, it seems The Jade Princess has become irresponsible," I mused. "But yes, of course." I looked at Artemis. "Go upstairs and grab my laptop." The boy nodded and left the room. "I'll send it to you right now," I said.

"Great. Thanks, Artemis," Butler said. He paused. "Juliet says thanks and she owes you one."

"No, tell her it's fine." I grabbed my laptop from Artemis. Copying and pasting the schedule into an email, I sent it to Butler. "You should be receiving it right now."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later. Bye, Artemis."

"Bye, Butler." I hung up. "Juliet lost her schedule," I explained. "She needed a new copy." I sighed and closed the computer's lid and set it down on the counter.

Sam shook her head. "You humans are so irresponsible sometimes," she said.

"Hey, cut her some slack," Artemis said. "I'm sure she'll find it somewhere. She's on a tour bus. It couldn't have gone far."

"That's true," I said. "That bus isn't very big. She probably just didn't look hard enough." They didn't say anything. "Finish your homework," I said. "Then we'll go."

Artemis made a face, but didn't argue. Sam, who hadn't stopped working, didn't even look up. That was one thing I liked about her. She was obedient.

Now Artemis... Well, 'obedient' isn't a word usually used to describe us Fowls. And the bad part was, could never get to mad at him for it, because I knew that I been, and still was, the same way. I couldn't even deny it if I wanted to, not that I wanted to anyways. Too many witnesses.

They finished their homework, and we piled into the car. I looked back at them from the driver's seat. "So what are we going to do, kids?" I asked them.

Sam and Artemis looked at each other. "What do you want to do?" he asked her.

She considered it for a moment, then shrugged. "I don't know."

My phone rang again. I sighed. "Think about it while I'm on the phone," I said. "I'll give you a few minutes." I grabbed the phone and stepped out of the car, answering it without even checking the caller ID first. "Hello?"

"Artemis?"

"Holly," I said. "I thought you were working."

"I was, but Trouble sent me home. Says its late and I should probably get some sleep. I wasn't going to argue with him. I'm practically dead on my feet."

"Then why aren't you sleeping?"

She shrugged the question off. "I wanted to talk to you before I went to bed. Besides, I figured you'd want to know that I might be able to come back tomorrow. He said no promises, but maybe."

"Hmm..." I said. "Interesting. I hope so, cause Sam's getting a bit antsy."

"And what about you?" she asked.

"Okay, I won't deny, I'd like to see you again too," I admitted.

"Mm-hmm. I thought so," she said smugly.

"Oh yeah, like you don't feel the same," I teased her. "Come on. Don't lie to me."

"I never said I didn't," she said. "What are you accusing me of?"

"Nothing. What do you think I'm accusing you of?"

"Hmm... I don't know. What have I done that you could accuse me of?"

"I don't know," I said, thinking. "Threatening me with a neutrino. You've done that plenty of times.

"Guilty as charged. Now, you'd best shut up, because I can accuse you of doing a lot more stuff than you can me."

"True," I admitted. "A bunch of it you should know about firsthand. Okay, I'm done now. Should I tell the kids?"

"No," Holly said quickly. "If I am coming back tomorrow, then I want to surprise them. And besides, Trouble said no guarantees, which means I might not be coming back tomorrow, and I don't want them to be disappointed if I don't."

"Okay, sounds good," I said. "Now I've got to go, cause I've got to get some food in these kids. You're right, I didn't realize it was that late."

Holly snickered. "I feel bad for them. They have to eat what you cook."

"Oh, shut up, Captain," I said, rolling my eyes.

"What? It's only the truth. You can't cook."

"Goodbye, Holly," I said.

She sighed. "Bye, Mud Boy."

We hung up.

I got back in the car. "Change of plans, kids," I said, putting the car in reverse. "It's getting late. We're going to get something to eat. You guys need to get to bed."

Artemis gave me a crazy look. "Dad, you know it's Friday, right?"

Whoops. No. "Yes," I said. It wasn't strictly a lie. I knew now that he'd told me.

"Okay, just checking," my son said.

I sighed as I backed out of the driveway. "Where do you want to go?"

Artemis looked at Sam. She muttered something under her breath and they both started laughing. I frowned and shook my head. I'll just go to the store and buy something precooked, I thought, because they aren't being helpful and I'm not buying anything from one of those nasty fast food places.

I finished the turnaround and pulled out of the driveway. Then we sped off down the highway.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sam

The next morning, I slept in late, until Artemis came in and woke me up.

"What do you want?" I groaned, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"Hey sleepy head, get up. I want to show you something."

"What?" I demanded. "What's so important that you woke me up at," I snuck a quick glance at the clock, "6:30 in the morning on a Saturday? And why are you up anyways?"

He chuckled. "You'll see. Come on."

"I don't like guessing games, Fowl," I warned him, but nevertheless got up and followed him from the room.

He led me downstairs and into the kitchen. I was really starting to get impatient when I saw her come around the corner. "Holly!"

"Hey kiddo," she said, squeezing me tight in her arms. "What, did you miss me?"

"Yes!" I said, burying my face in her shoulder. She laughed.

"Where's dad?" Artemis asked.

"Oh, he's at a meeting with Foaly," Holly said. "I was supposed to be going with him, but I changed my mind. He'll call if he needs anything."

Artemis nodded. "When did you get back?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Around four thirty," she replied. "That's when Artemis told me to meet him if I wanted to go with him. I showed up on time, but I just decided to stay here. It was just easier that way." She frowned. "Besides, I hate when he does stuff with the People's technology, and he knows it."

"What?" Artemis asked. "What's he using the People's technology for?"

I looked at her, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'd kind of like to hear this myself."

She sighed. "He wants to recreate the C Cube, a little mini computer he made when he was younger. He caused a lot of trouble over that little thing, only to have it taken by the LEP and sent to Foaly to be destroyed."

"The C Cube?" Artemis asked.

"I shouldn't have said anything," Holly murmured, making a face. "I think you're drooling." She looked at me, and I nodded, unable to keep the half smile off my face as she said, "Close your mouth, Mud Boy."

He was saved from responding by his father walking in. He smiled when he saw us. "Good morning."We all murmured our responses and he frowned. "Did I walk in on something?"

I grinned. "Holly was telling us about the C Cube and Artemis started drooling."

He shot me a look, and his dad just shook his head, a slight smile on his face. "So how did the meeting about that go?" Holly asked.

"Good," he said. "I got permission to recreate the C Cube, with a few restrictions, of course."

"Like... No trying to pawn it off to crazy business men?"

"I wasn't trying to 'pawn it off' to Spiro, as you put it, I was merely trying to make a little money. Though, yes, I will admit that was one of the restrictions. The C Cube has to stay between us this time, no one outside the family is to see, know, or even hear of its existence as it could cause a problem for the People if word of it reaches the wrong person's ears. There was a few other restrictions as well, but I can deal with them." He came and sat down at the table with us.

"Good," Holly murmured, coming over and sitting down on his lap. He smiled as he put his arms around her. Artemis and I exchanged a glance, but said nothing. Unfortunately, Artemis' dad saw it. He said nothing, but merely leaned down and pressed the elf's lips into his. His son made a face and looked away, but I laughed. Artemis rolled his eyes at me.

Holly smiled as she pulled back from the unexpected kiss, hopping to her feet. "So, who wants breakfast?" she asked, walking over to the stove.

"I'll take some," I said. "Just as long as you're cooking it."

Holly laughed. "Yeah, I'm cooking it," she said. "Though I'll admit, I'm surprised there's anyone left to cook for. What did Artemis do, buy you guys restaurant food while I was gone?" We nodded and she gave him a stern look.

"What?" he asked sheepishly. "I had to feed them something, and Butler's still on tour with Juliet."

"Well, that would be why you all aren't poisoned," Holly said. "Even magic wouldn't be enough to fix the damage his cooking could do to your systems."

Artemis scowled. "My cooking isn't that bad."

Holly laughed. "I'm not buying that. It may not be as bad as it used to be, but it still can't be healthy." He didn't say anything. Probably because she was right.

She finished cooking and we ate breakfast in silence. Artemis II finished first. He stood up and cleared his plate, then came over and laid his hands lightly on Holly's shoulders. "I'm going up to start working on the Cube," he said to her. "Want to come?"

"In a bit," she said. "When I'm done." He nodded and lightly kissed her cheek, then disappeared out the kitchen door. Artemis Jr and I finished a few minutes after Holly did, then I went up and disappeared into my room.

I was sitting on my bed, reading, when Artemis knocked on the door. "Come in," I said, without looking up.

He came in and perched on the edge of the bed next to me. "Jake and Chris called," he said. "They wan to meet us at the skate rink downtown in an hour. You up for it?"

I shrugged. "Whatever. Are we allowed?"

He nodded. "Dad never minds when I go to hang out with Jake. And Holly won't mind you coming too as long as you're not alone."

I nodded. "Okay. Then lets get dressed and go." He nodded. A half an hour later, we met at the front doors of the manor and left.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Artemis III

Chris and Jake met us outside of the rink. Jake grinned when he saw us. "Helloooo."

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't resist a smile. "Hey, Jake," I greeted. "Chris."

"Artemis," the boy greeted formally. He and I weren't close. For some reason, we never really tried to get close, be better friends. It just seemed better to us that way.

For a moment we stood there, but then Jake broke the silence. "Well, what are we waiting for? Lets go in!"

Everybody agreed. We went in and got our skates. Sam, who was still learning, stuck to the sidelines. Chris went with her and helped her. I would have went with her myself, but Jake said he wanted to talk to me and I figured now would probably our best chance.

"So what is it?" I asked.

"Did you know the school's holding a dance?" he asked.

"No," I said. "Where did you hear about this?"

"My mom is on the PTO, remember? I know about everything that goes on in this school. It won't be announced until tomorrow over the announcements."

"Then why should I care until then?" I asked. "And why are we even having a dance?"

"For the Fourth of July," he replied. "There's going to be fireworks and everything."

"Okay, so what? I still don't see how this has anything to do with me."

"Dude, you are so missing the point!" Jake said, exasperated. "Your going to miss your chance! You-"

"Don't call me dude," I interrupted. "And what chance?"

"Some genius you are." He stopped and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me hard, like he was hoping to shake some since into me. "Ask Sam to the dance!"

"What? No! Sam and I are just friends, nothing more."

"Oh come on," he complained. "You like her, don't you? Admit it! Come on, do it!"

"No! If you like her so much, why don't you ask her?"

He looked appalled. "Me? I barely know her! That would just be awkward. But you two do know each other well, and heck, I mean, you even live with her. I could just see it; you would be perfect together!"

"No," I said firmly, pulling away from him. "And that's final."

"Artemis, come on! At least ask her. There's no guarantee she would even say yes," Jake said.

She would, I thought. Just for the simplicity of not having to answer to anyone else, and because she wouldn't want to hurt my feelings. But I didn't say that outloud.

Jake was still talking. "Come on! I'm not going to stop pestering you until you say yes!"

I sighed. For some reason, I didn't doubt that he would actually keep asking me until I said yes. "If I say yes, will you leave me alone?"

"Yes," Jake said. "But you have to swear that you'll at least ask her."

I sighed, admitting defeat. "I swear. Are you happy now?"

"Yes." He smiled. "When are you going to do it?"

I groaned. "Whenever I get time! Now, can you please leave me alone?"

He shrugged. "Okay."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

He smirked. "What's wrong, Fowl? Huh? Tender subject?"

"Oh, shut up," I said through gritted teeth. "Come on. Let's go find Sam and Chris get something for lunch."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sam

I stuck to the sides of the skate rink as I skated. I was just learning, and I would probably fall on my butt if I tried to go out in the middle where most people were. Chris came with me, but Artemis and Jake went out into the center.

"Easy. Easy! Sam," Chris said, looking up at me. "Stop doing that. You're going to break your ankle."

"I'm not going to break my ankle," I said, my voice firm. And even if I did, I could just heal it, I thought. And I wouldn't be any worse for the wear.

He could probably tell what I was thinking, but he didn't say anything. Chris knew about the People, and he knew that Holly and I were fairies. He himself was half fairy/ half human. He helped Artemis and I escape from Opal a few months back.

He sighed, taking my arm and supporting me as I tried to get myself upright again. "Better?" I nodded, and he let go of my arm.

"Thanks," I muttered.

He smiled. "No problem." He looked around. "Look, here comes Jake and Artemis."

I looked up. Jake and Artemis were making their way over to us from across the floor. Just looking at them, though, I could tell something was wrong. Had they had a fight? The stony hard looks Artemis kept throwing Jake made me think they had at least had an argument about something. It worried me, and I thought about asking about it, but I decided it was probably best to keep my big mouth shut and let them work it out themselves.

"Hey guys, ready for lunch?" Jake asked.

"Er, sure," I said. I myself wasn't really hungry, but I was sure the guys were.

"Great. Where do you want to go?"

"There's a pizzeria on the other side of this building," Chris suggested. "We could go there. Then we could come back here and go skating again when we're done."

Everybody agreed, so we walked through the back door that adjoined to the second building next door. We found a little table in the back where sat down and ate, until Jake startled everyone by saying, "Dude, isn't that your mom?"

Everyone looked around. Sure enough, Holly was standing in the doorway, looking around.

"Oh crap," I muttered. "No, that's my mom. Artemis' stepmom."

I always called Holly my mom in public. It was easier than explaining about my real mom. Artemis called Holly his stepmom because... well, what other explanation was there for us living with them? What were we supposed to tell them? No, they're just friends. Who was going to believe that line?

"Come on," I told Artemis. "Let's go see what she wants."

Artemis nodded slowly. "Yeah," he muttered. "Let's go."

I stood up. "Bye."

"Bye," Jake and Chris said at the same time. I sighed and followed Artemis to where Holly was standing in the doorway.

"Holly," Artemis said. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you two," she answered.

"Well, here we are," I said.

They both looked at me. "Yes, so it seems," Holly murmured.

There was silence for a moment. "Well, let's go, then," Artemis said.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Holly

After breakfast, I went upstairs and joined Artemis in his study. He was hunched over the desk, looking down at the tiny instruments on the table in front of him.

I stopped a few feet away from him, watching him as he worked. I can't explain why; there was just something fascinating about it.

For a while he didn't even seem to notice my presence, he was so caught up in his work. Then suddenly his shoulders stiffened, and he slowly turned around in his chair.

His position relaxed when he saw it was me. He smiled slightly. "Hello, Captain."

"Hello, Arty." I walked over and sat on his lap, ignoring his protests about me calling him 'Arty'. After all, I had done it just to make him mad.

He seemed to realize I wasn't listening and stopped with a sigh. He put his arm around my waist and pulled me back, closer to him. He leaned down and pressed his lips against my neck, running up it to my ear. "If you want to sit here, that's fine, but stay like this so I can work. Okay?"

"Okay," I murmured. He smiled and released me, moving the chair forward so he was closer to the desk.

For a while I sat there and watched him work. The process was almost... hypnotizing. His hands moved in a blur; adding a piece here, taking one off there. He worked fast, though it didn't make a difference. The process was still painstakingly slow.

He stopped and wiped his sweaty hands on his pants. Then he stole a glance at me.

He smiled when he saw the look on my face. "What?"

I shook my head. He sighed and curled his arms around me, gently tugging me in closer. Then he leaned in close, and his lips found mine. I moved closer into it, and I felt as well as heard the quiet chuckle that escaped him.

"Easy now," he murmured as I reached up and put one arm around his neck. The other I put on the back of his head and pulled him even closer still. He chuckled quietly again. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Good," I said. I tipped my head up and our eyes met.

For a while we just sat there and gazed into each others eyes. Then he righted us so we were sitting straight in the chair. I dropped my arms so they were both around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder. He rubbed my back soothingly, his lips moving lightly along my jawline, but then he stopped suddenly and sighed. "I should really get back to work, Holly. It's going to take me long enough to finish this as it is."

I made a face. "Don't be a spoilsport."

"I'm sorry," he said. "But it's the truth. Why don't you go find the kids and do something with them until I'm done?"

"The kids probably aren't here, Artemis. They usually go out on the weekends."

"Well, then why don't you go find them? By the time you get back I should be done, at least for the day. Then we can do what ever you want."

I smiled wickedly. "What ever I want, huh?"

"Anything," he promised.

I leaned up and kissed him one more time, then pulled back and jumped to my feet. "Okay. I'll go find the kids." I turned and walked over to the door, but stopped with my hand on the knob. "But just remember your promise, Mud Boy, because I'm going to hold you to it."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you will."

I smiled and turned back to the door. Heck yeah I would.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Artemis II

I watched Holly walk out the door, then turned back to my desk to continue working. I thought about her parting words: "But just remember your promise, Mud Boy, because I'm going to hold you to it."

There was no doubt in my mind that she would indeed hold me to it.

I worked for a little while longer on the cube, until I finally couldn't stand it anymore. I had been sitting still too long. I was restless. My feet were numb and my eyes were watering from staring.

I went downstairs. Until seeing the clock, I didn't realize how late it was. It was after 4:30. Neither of the kids were home yet, and Holly wasn't either, so I figured it was up to me to find something for dinner. Well, there was no since in me cooking, because no one would eat it, so I decided to order something. There was a Subway not too far away, and I knew they delivered.

After a brief phone call, I had dinner taken care of. Now all there was left to do was wait.

About twenty minutes later, a knock at the door told me the food was here. I collected it and went to put it in the fridge, but before I could get there I heard the door open, so I just stopped and set the table.

I was just finishing when Holly walked in, the kids close behind her. She sniffed the air cautiously.

"It smells good," she commented. "I'm guessing you didn't cook?"

"Nope," I said, grabbing her when she got close and pulling her into my arms. I kissed her lightly on the head once before releasing her and pulling the chair out for her.

I opened the bag and passed out the subs. Veggie stuff for Holly and Sam, as they were both vegetarians. For Artemis and I, I ordered meatball subs. Hey, we couldn't all be vegetarians around here. The world would survive with a few less cows.

After dinner, I noticed Artemis pulling Holly out of the room. I had no idea what he would want to talk to her about, but I didn't intervene. I figured I could question Holly about it later.

Which is exactly what I did.

Afterwards, while Sam and Artemis were getting ready for bed, I pulled Holly aside.

"What was that about?" I asked her.

"What was what about?" she asked. She sounded distracted. Then, completely off topic, she asked, "Hey, are you on the school's PTO?"

The question startled me. "No."

"Oh," she murmured, staring off distractedly again.

"Why? And what did Artemis pull you aside for earlier?"

"Just curious as to if you knew or not."

"Knew what?" I was a little irritated now.

She looked at me. "Artemis' school is holding a dance. That's what he pulled me aside about earlier. He wanted my permission to ask Sam to it, though I'm not sure why he asked me and not Sam herself first."

"Probably because he knows Sam is not the one he has to worry about," I said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, looking up at me.

I sighed. "Sam is practically guaranteed to say yes to him, if just for the simple reason of it saving her from having to answer to anyone else. And besides," I said, grinning, "No one can resist a Fowl, not even the most stubborn fairy under the world."

"And what makes you think that?" Holly asked, leaning a bit closer in anticipation of hearing the answer.

"Because," I said, drawing her into my arms and leaning down to whisper in her ear, "You couldn't."

"Touché," she murmured, pressing herself in closer. Then she stretched up and pressed her lips against mine.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Artemis III

My conflicting emotions were going to drive me nuts.

I couldn't seem to find the right time to ask Sam if she would go to the dance with me. Every time I tried to, I would lose my resolve at the last minute and have to make something up, while she stared at me, waiting, and probably concerned about my mental health.

Finally, I decided enough was enough. She was just a girl. Why did that make me so nervous? What was the worst she could do, say no? (Or maybe slap me, but I tried not to think about that.)

I stood up, then left the room to search for Sam.

I found her outside, sitting up in one of the lower branches of a tree, watching the sun go down.

She was already in her pajamas, her wet hair splayed out around her shoulders, framing her face. She adverted her eyes from the sky for a brief instant to focus on me when she heard the door open. She smiled and waved, but then turned back to the sunset.

I walked over and climbed up, sitting on a nearby branch.

"Does anyone know you're out here?" I asked.

"No," she replied, resting her head back against the tree. "I'm really not supposed to be out here, but I come out anyways. The sunset is beautiful. Usually I shield when someone comes out, but I'm low on magic right now and there's no full moon until next week."

"That's not safe, you know," I said. "For all you know, Opal's hiding in the trees behind you, just waiting to strike."

"Opal isn't that patient," Sam said. "And besides, even if she was, she could have gotten me long before now. Why wait so long?"

"That's what they always say," I said darkly.

She laughed. "Don't worry," she assured me. "I'll be fine. I'm on my guard, I swear."

Not for this, I thought. Then; Now or never. I sighed, deciding that 'now' was probably better then 'never'. I looked at Sam, who wasn't paying any attention to me, still watching the sky, and took a deep breath.

"Sam," I said carefully, measuring her reaction, "Will you go to the dance with me?"


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Sam

I went outside after dinner to watch the sunset. I did this every night because, well, it was just so beautiful, I had automatically taken a liking to watching it after the first time I saw it. Now I did it every night.

Tonight I climbed up the trunk of the tree and sat in the crook of the same branch as usual. I leaned back and closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of the evening sun of my face.

After a few minutes I started to get the feeling someone was watching me. I looked down to see Artemis, standing by the front door of the manor, looking at me. I smiled and waved, then looked away, back to the sunset.

Normally, he wouldn't even have known I was here, because I would be shielded, but I was drastically low on magic, so tonight I remained I unshielded.

I didn't look, but I could tell from the sound of crunching leaves and his shoes scraping against the side of the tree that he was climbing up next to me.

He perched on a branch a few feet away and and asked, "Does anyone know you're out here?"

"No," I answered as I leaned my head back and rested it against the tree. "I'm really not supposed to be out here, but I come out anyways. The sunset is beautiful. Usually I shield when someone comes out, but I'm low on magic right now and there's no full moon until next week."

"That's not safe, you know," he chided me. "For all you know, Opal's hiding in the trees behind you, just waiting to strike."

"Opal isn't that patient," I countered. "And besides, even if she was, she could have gotten me long before now. Why wait so long?"

"That's what they always say," he said darkly.

I laughed. "Don't worry," I reassured him. "I'll be fine. I'm on my guard, I swear."

There was silence for a minute. But then Artemis broke it abruptly. "Sam, will you go to the dance with me?"

I froze, then slowly turned to look at him. "What?"

He breathed deeply. "I said, will you go to the dance with me?"

I frowned, puzzled. "What dance?"

"Oh, yeah… That." He looked embarrassed. "The school is holding one for the Fourth of July." He looked at up at me from the leaf in his hand. "So, will you go with me?"

"Um…" I racked my brain for a reason to say no, but nothing came to mind. I looked at him, indecisive.

It must have been written on my face, because his eyes widened and he said, "It's okay if you say no, I just thought it would save us both some trouble. I'm not saying it has to be like a date or anything, just as friends." He hesitated briefly before adding in a low voice, "If that's what you want."

I was shocked, but I tried not to let it show on my face. Now I really couldn't find a reason to say no. "Okay," I agreed. "Okay. I'll go to the dance with you."

I watched his reaction carefully. I tried not to, but I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me as I saw the shock and utter disbelief that flitted across his features. "You didn't think I'd say yes, did you?" He didn't answer. "Why did you ask then?"

"Jake made me," he admitted.

I rolled my eyes. "So are you taking back the invitation?"

He shook his head, a half smile on his face. "No. Not at all." He jumped down from the tree. "Goodnight, Sam."

I yawned. "Night, Artemis."

I looked back up at the sky. The sun had completely disappeared now, replaced by the moon. Tonight, instead of a full moon, it was a half moon. I sighed and sat up. Probably best to head back to the manor now, before I got caught. I sighed again. It wouldn't be good if that happened. I jumped down from the tree and headed back into the manor.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Holly

The next morning, Artemis III stopped me in the hallway before he and Sam left for school.

"So… I asked her," he said, his voice low.

"And?" I prompted.

"She said yes, but I think only because I said that it didn't have to be like…" He hesitated for a moment, but continued anyhow, "Like a date."

I cocked my head. There was something missing from this story, I could feel it. "But she didn't specify that it wasn't a date?" I guessed.

He nodded. "Now… Well, I'm not exactly sure what I should do."

"Artemis," I sighed. "Let me ask you this; Do you have feelings for Samantha? As more than friends, I mean."

"I don't know," he said. "That's the problem. I can't decide whether I actually want to try to make a move like that or not. If I did, and she rejects it, it could ruin everything. But if I don't try; I'll never know if she actually would have said yes or not." He looked at me for help.

"You know what I would do?" I asked. He shook his head. "Follow your heart, Artemis. Do what feels right at the time. I'm not saying what feels right is always the right thing to do, but a good percentage of the time, it is. Look at your dad and I. We made bad decisions before, but we fixed them. We're still alive and well today. Don't be afraid to follow your heart for fear it might be the wrong decision, because even if things to wrong, the tide will turn back eventually." I looked at him. "Okay?"

He nodded and stood up. "Okay."

I stood up as well. "Have a good day at school, Artemis. Hope that helped."

He nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, it did." He reached over a gave me a quick hug. "That helped a lot. Thanks, Holly."

"No problem, kiddo. Now get going. You don't want to be late." He nodded, and without another word, rushed out the door.

That talk was the most eventful thing that happened all day.

After taking the kids to school, I went grocery shopping, just for the purpose of killing time, but even that didn't take as long as I would have liked. I was done within the hour, and still had time on my hands.

Bored, I went up to see Artemis, but he was still working on the cube, therefore I was stuck watching him. After a while I just couldn't sit still any longer, so I left.

So, unsure where exactly where I was going, just knowing I had to get out, I slipped on a pair of shoes and walked out of the manor.

I walked until I reached the streets of downtown Dublin, where I proceeded to just wander aimlessly around town all afternoon, enjoying the sweet surface air and the warm rays of sunlight.

Finally, the time rolled around to pick the kids up from school. I picked them up and we drove back to the manor. They sat down and started doing their homework and I went straight to working on dinner.

I was just about to send Artemis up to get his dad when he walked in the room, grinning widely.

I looked up from making plates long enough to cast him a suspicious glance. "What did you do?"

He came up behind me and snaked an arm around my waist, pulling me into him. He whispered in my ear, "It's done. I finished it."

I swung around, knocking his arm away and making him flinch back from the spoon in my hand that had almost connected with his face. "Really? The cube? You finished it?"

He grinned. "Yep. All done. All I need to do is test it once to make sure it works correctly, and then contact Foaly with the results. Then the C Cube is officially back in business."

"Artemis, that's great!" I threw my arms around his neck (careful not to smack him with the spoon, of course) and he pulled me in tight to his chest. "Now," I murmured into his ear, "No trying to pawn it off to crazy business men this time."

"I won't," he said. "At least, not the same crazy business man…"

"Artemis!"

"Okay, okay!" he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "No trying to sell it to crazy business people this time. I promise. Though in my defense, I didn't know he was crazy."

"You knew that he had no problem working on the shady side of the law," I accused. "And you knew he was a criminal. And-"

"Okay, I'm not arguing that. I'm just saying, I didn't know he was crazy. I knew he was stupid, but there's a difference between stupid and crazy. Or so I thought, though it appears with him there wasn't."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Just shut up and give this to your son, Mud Boy." I thrust a plate into his arms and turned around again.

"Of course," he murmured, dropping a quick kiss on my head before doing as he was told. I rolled my eyes again, but said nothing. Kiss up.

I fixed my own and Artemis's plate and joined them at the table. "I would have done that," he said, turning around to look at me when I dropped the plate in front of him.

"Yeah, well, I beat you to it, so just sit down and eat," I ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," he muttered.

I smirked. That never got old.

"So you finished it?" Artemis asked.

"Yes," his father replied. "It's done."

"Cool! Can we see it?" Sam asked.

"After dinner," I told them. "Now eat."

Everyone, including Artemis, dug in to their food with out another word.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Artemis II

After dinner I led Holly and the kids up to my where the finished product of the C Cube was sitting on my desk.

Holly picked it up and weighed it in the palm of her hand. "So small and yet it can do so much damage," she sighed.

"Don't worry," I assured her. "It will only do damage if I make it do damage, which I won't. The Fowls are straight now. You know that."

"Yes, and since when is kidnapping legal?" Holly murmured. She was obviously referring to how Artemis and Samantha met, but luckily they didn't hear it.

Sam took it from her and twirled it around in her fingers carefully. "What does it do, exactly?" she asked.

"Lots of things," I said. "But I can't do anything with it until I let Foaly know that it is complete. Which I can show you as a demonstration." I plucked it from her hands and commanded it (in Gnommish, of course) to call the centaur and question and put him on speaker.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Lower Elements favorite Mud Boy, Artemis Fowl the second. It's finished then, I take it?"

"Hello to you too," I muttered. "Yes, it is finished. In fact, it's what I'm calling you from now."

There was a distinctive clicking of keys that told me that he was checking his computer. "Ah, so you are. So, how long do you think it will take me to hack, huh, Mud Boy?"

I smirked. "You'll never be able to hack this thing, Foaly, though you're welcome to try."

"Ohh, cocky aren't you? Well, we will see about that!"

I opened my mouth to reply, but Holly interrupted. "Okay, what are you guys, five? Stop it!"

I could practically hear Foaly grinning as he said, "Yeah, Fowl, listen to her."

"Foaly," the elf warned, before I could answer. "Shut up."

"Right," the centaur said. "Well, Mud Boy, the C Cube is officially registered and you are allowed to use it for your own intents and purposes as long as it is used responsibly and doesn't become a danger or a threat to the People. Understood?"

"Fine," I agreed. "Night. Bye, Foaly."

"Night, Mud Boy."


	14. Chapter 14

A/N Sorry this is third person, but I've already said I don't do bad guys well! And this might be really crappy, because I don't know a lot about this sort of thing, but I tried to make as real as possible.

Chapter 14

Jon Spiro Jr. (From third person)

Jon Spiro Jr. was on the phone when his computer beeped. Immediately recognizing the sound, he ended the phone call with a "I've got to go" and rushed to it.

He gasped. An untraceable beam had just been sent out, requesting a person at an unknown location. This might be just what he was waiting for…

Cracking his knuckles, he sat down at the computer.

He tried tracing the source with no success. The same thing happened when he tried hacking it to find the source and retracing the beam manually.

He tried fifteen different things in the matter of a minute. Then he had an idea. He paused, giving the call time to be received, and then he tried again.

His idea: during the time the call was on line, the defenses would be weaker. It was a long shot, but it just might work.

It worked. The beam sent was quick enough to get coordinates, but not an actual fix on the location. But that was okay.

Spiro quickly put the coordinates in the computer. The results shakes it led to one place.

Dublin, Ireland.

Fowl Manor.

Just the location he was looking for. It was all the confirmation he needed. Now he knew what he needed to do to complete his plans, to get his revenge, and avenge his father's legacy.

It was time.

And he knew just how to do it.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N These next few chapters are Artemis II P.O.V., and warning there is a lot of A/H and definitely some romance. Nothing very descriptive, like usual. So yeah, like, T rating, I guess.

Chapter 15

Artemis II

I hung up with a swift command to the cube and turned back to the rest of the people in the room. "What do you think?"

"I think it's sounds cool," said Sam.

"I think it's definitely… interesting," my son murmured.

"I think it's time for you all to be getting to bed," Holly announced. "Go, both of you, and I don't want to hear another peep from either of you. Now."

With a nodded from Artemis and a mock salute from Sam, the kids left the room. Holly looked at me.

"You too, mister," she ordered.

I held my hands up in an indication that I wasn't going to fight her. "Yes, ma'am." I started to walk out, but seeming to change her mind, stopped me as I passed, grabbing my arm and pulling me down. Her lips pressed into mine. I freed my arm and put it around her waist, pulling her in tight against me. "I thought you wanted me to do something," I murmured against her skin.

"So? Maybe I do, maybe I don't. Maybe one thing is more important than the other," she replied, looking up at me. For a moment our eyes locked, but then I smiled wickedly, and hoisting her up by the waist, slung her over my shoulder.

"Hey," she protested, her small fists pounding into my back as I made my way for the door. "Put me down."

I pulled open the adjoining door to my room. "Okay." I swung her back down, off my shoulder, so that she was laying flat on her back on the bed underneath me. Then I leaned in and kissed her again.

She pulled back a few minutes later, gasping for air. "No fair," she managed. Then my lips were pressing into hers again.

I slid my one hand up her bare back, enjoying the feel of her soft skin, and tangled the other into her hair. She wrapped her arms around my neck.

I tightened my grip on her and pulled her up with me to the top of the bed, laying down together and pulling the blankets over us. I laid her down, letting her go and curling up beside her. She moved in closer, resting her head on my shoulder, her face pressing into my neck, and finally, I couldn't stand it any longer. I looked down at her and said the words I'd always wanted to say.

"I love you, Holly."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Artemis II

I felt her tense in my arms as soon as I said it. But I was on a roll now, and I didn't give her a chance to answer.

"I love you more than life, and you are by far one of the best things that's ever happened to me. I want you in every way, and I want you to stay here with me, forever. And I think there's only one way we'll ever be able to have that." I looked at her face. She was looking at me now, tears streaming freely down her checks. I grabbed her hands as I slid off the bed, down on one knee. "Marry me, Holly? Please?"

She looked at me, eyes filled with tears, as if debating. "Yes," she whispered. "Yes, I will." And she threw her arms around me again.

I swooped back up on the bed, carrying her with me, tears of joy and relief stinging at my own eyes. I squeezed her so hard to my chest that she moaned and gasped, "Artemis… I can't… breathe."

"Oh. Oh." I pulled back, releasing her on to the pillows next to me. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She ran her hand down my chest, the buttons on my shirt clicking as they popped open. She buried her face in my bare chest, her arms circling around my back. "I love you."

"I love you too," I sighed. I leaned down and kissed her again. "Goodnight, Holly."

"Goodnight, Artemis," the elf whispered. She closed her eyes and was asleep in minutes.

I smiled, relieved that she was finally asleep and enjoying the feeling of holding my new fiancée in my arms. It felt good to finally get that off my chest. I wasn't actually planning on purposing tonight (because I was going to do it anyhow), but the moment had come by and I couldn't pass it up.

Planting a kiss on her forehead, I whispered "I love you" to her one last time, then I closed my eyes, allowing myself to finally drift into sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Holly

I woke up the next morning still in Artemis's arms, never having moved. For a while I just laid there, letting him hold me as I recalled the previous nights events. Did he really say that? Or was I dreaming? Probably best to figure it out before I said something stupid.

I looked up at him to see he was looking down at me. How long had been sitting there like that, awake, watching me? I didn't know, and I wasn't sure I wanted to. It was kind of creepy.

I didn't have much more time to think about it, because his voice broke into my thoughts. "Good morning," he murmured.

"Morning," I replied, stretching out. "Did you really…?" I trailed off, leaving the question hanging, but I didn't need to finish it, because he knew what I wanted to ask.

"Did I really pop the question?" he finished. "Yes, yes I did. Did you really say yes?"

"Yes," I said. "Though I thought it was at dream."

"Are you taking it back, then?" he inquired.

I grinned wickedly. "In your dreams, Mud Boy."

He hugged me close. "Maybe."

I sighed and rested my head back on his chest. "What time is it?"

He glanced at the clock. "Eight thirty two."

I sat up. "The kids! Did they get up?"

"Relax! It's fine. They're already gone. I checked earlier. They both have they're own alarm clocks, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Right. I knew that," I said sheepishly.

He sat up. "Sure you did. Now, what do you say we to do something about breakfast?"

I groaned. "I don't want to cook."

He tenderly slid his fingers across my jawline, leaving my jaw tingling wherever his fingers touched it. "Then don't," he said simply. "We'll go out. After all, we have to celebrate somehow, don't we? And I need to buy you an engagement ring too, before I forget. Come on," he said, taking my hand, "Go get dressed, then we'll leave. Okay?"

"Okay, Arty," I said, giving him a hug. He hugged me back. "But if we're really going to go through with this, there's more to be done than just buying an engagement ring. We've got to make plans for the wedding, we've got to tell the kids, and Butler and Juliet, Foaly, your parents…" I trailed off.

He tilted my head up, making me meet his eyes. "I know. But let's just start with the engagement ring. One step at a time, Holly. And you left something big out."

"What? I thought I said everybody important."

"You did, mostly anyways. But you really want Artemis calling you his stepmom, do you?" I looked away as realization hit me. "We have to tell him, Holly," Artemis said softly.

"I know," I sighed. "When?"

"When the time is right," he answered. "Now, go. I'll meet you in the living room when you're done."

"Alright," I sighed. I pulled back and headed to the door.

"Holly?" I turned around. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said, smiling. Then I rounded the corner and headed out the door.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Artemis III

The next morning, Sam and I walked to school. We were lucky to even get up on time. If it wouldn't have been for my alarm clock, we wouldn't have.

Once I got up and discovered no one else was awake, I ran down the hall to Sam's room to get her.

"Sam," I breathed, shaking her hard. "Sam, get up!"

"What?" she groaned, rolling over. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up. "Artemis?"

"Yeah," I said. "We're late getting up. Holly didn't come wake us up like normal."

She frowned. "I wonder why. How late are we?"

"Just a few minutes. It shouldn't make much of a difference, but I figured it was worth mentioning. And get this: I don't think she left dad's room last night. I checked her room, and it was empty."

"Isn't that an invasion of privacy? To go barging into her room, I mean."

"I knocked first," I said, a little offended. "She didn't answer. The door was unlocked, so I just went in."

"That's a little better," Sam murmured.

I paused. "Want to go see?"

"See what?"

"If they're really in there together, duh."

Sam bit her lip. "That's definitely an invasion of privacy."

"Oh, come on!" I protested. "If you won't go, I will."

"Fine, fine! I'll go, but I'm not going in." She looked at me. "Happy, Mud Boy?"

"Yes."

"And I'm getting dressed first, so get out."

I shrugged. "Whatever. I'll meet you outside dad's door in five minutes."

Five minutes later, Sam and I were standing outside my father's bedroom door.

"Ready?" I asked. She nodded, though she didn't look quite sure. I rolled my eyes and turned the knob, quietly stepping into the room.

I looked around and grinned. "Jackpot," I whispered to Sam. "Come here."

She hesitantly stepped over the threshold into the room. When she saw what I did, she gasped.

My dad and Holly were laying on the bed, curled up tightly against each other. Holly had her face buried in his bare chest, trapped up against him in his embrace. He had his arms around her, holding her close as they slept. Their foreheads rested together, and they were breathing deeply, lost in peaceful sleep.

"Wow," Sam murmured. "Talk about unexpected. Can I go get ready for school now?"

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered distractedly. She turned and exited the room, and I followed her, but not before one last glance over my shoulder. Sam had pretty much summed it up. Wow.

We went downstairs and finished getting dressed. "Alright. You ready?" I asked Sam. She nodded as she slung her book bag over her shoulder. "Then lets go. The bus is due to come any minute."

Normally Sam and I didn't ride the bus, Holly would drive us to school. But as that wasn't going to happen today, and the bus had to come by our house anyways, I figured we could get a ride on it.

A few minutes later, on the bus, Sam asked me, "What's the date?"

"Er… I don't know. The third, I think."

Sam snickered, and I sighed. "Did you do that on purpose?"

"No, but it was still funny anyways."

We pulled into the school. I walked Sam to her classroom, then ran to my own. I was one of the first kids there, but unfortunately, not the first kid. Dekin was there.

"Hey, Fowl," he called. "Are you going to the dance tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Who you going with?"

"Sam."

"Samantha?" His eyebrows went up in surprise. "Short? I thought you guys were just friends."

"We are," I replied. "We just thought it would be easier that way. This way we don't have to worry about it."

"Until then," Dekin replied with a smirk. "You gonna make a move?"

My face turned red. "No! Dekin, we are just friends!"

"Sure you are," a familiar voice behind me said. "Until then."

I whirled around. "Oh, Jake, shut up."

"It's the truth," he said. "Watch and learn, Artemis. It will happen. You will make a move on her by the end of the night."

He walked up beside me and put his arm around my shoulders. "Picture it. You'll get there, and she will be all dressed up and pretty. You guys will eat, do a little dancing, and then the time for the fireworks will come." He looked at me.

"You'll take her out to watch them, maybe sit in that old tree behind the school that she hangs out at all the time. You'd have a great view there. Wait for the right time, maybe near the end, when she'll be most entranced. The perfect time to make a move. You just wait, Fowl. It will be the perfect chance, and you won't be able to pass it up."

"Jake!" I shrugged out of his arm, glaring at him with the sternest look I could manage. "I will not 'make a move' on Sam! We are just friends, and we are going to stay that way. Our relationship is purely platonic."

"Sure it is," Jake said.

"Ugh!" I threw my stuff down and stomped out of the room.

Dekin looked at Jake. "What does platonic mean?"


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Holly

The first stop Artemis made was the jewelry shop to get my ring. He made me sit in the car there with the argument that if he

had gotten the ring beforehand when he was supposed to, I wouldn't have been there anyways, so I didn't need to go in now. I fought with him for a minute, but relented eventually. It was a stupid thing to argue about, and he was right anyways.

In the end, it didn't matter. The ring he got was one I probably would have picked out myself. It very bland, which was good for me because stuff with a lot of bling was not and had never been to my taste.

Just goes to show how well he knows me, I thought.

After that, Artemis stopped at the tailor. He went in, and this time I stayed in the car voluntarily. He was only in there a few minutes, to put in his order, as he came to this place all the time so they already had the measurements needed.

"What next?" I asked when he came back out and we were back on the highway.

"Now for the most dangerous task," he answered. "We have to tell everyone."

"Oh," I murmured. "Yeah, that is dangerous. Especially when we tell Butler."

"Why would you be afraid to tell Butler?" Artemis asked, puzzled. "He'll be ecstatic. I would have thought you'd be worried about telling my parents."

"Your parents I can deal with. And I'm not worried about telling Butler, that will be easy. I know he'll be ecstatic. That's the problem. His hugs are bad enough when he's calm. Imagine what it will be like then." I winced, remembering the last time Butler had tried to hug me. "He might just break my ribs."

Artemis laughed. "True," he admitted. "But at least you have magic to heal you if he breaks your ribs. I don't. And we'd still have to go through Juliet…" he paused. "And the rest of the family."

I groaned at the thought. "Yeah. This is going to be fun."

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "It's okay. We'll get through it. Together."

I nodded. "Same way we always do. It's seemed to work pretty well so far."

"Yeah," Artemis agreed. "As long as we-"

He was cut off by another car that came flying around a blind turn doing at least seventy five. It narrowly missed us, still managing to scrape the side of the car. Artemis swerved just in time to avoid being completely taken out, but we were still thrown sideways by the force of the side of the other car.

"Hold on!" Artemis yelled. "I think we're going to-"

The car tipped over, bouncing off its side to land up side down.

"Flip," Artemis finished. "Are you okay?"

"I- I think," I croaked. "I'm not dead, at least."

"Helpful," he muttered. Unbuckling, he climbed out of his seat and across the car to mine. He examined me carefully. There was a few minor cuts and bruises on my arms and legs. "Did you hit your head?" he asked.

"Yeah, but not too hard. I think it's fine."

"Hold still." He reached up, his fingers probing my head gently, looking for where I hit it. I winced when he found it. "Okay, that's not 'fine'. I barely touched it." He pulled back. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm fine, Artemis, really. We should focus on finding some transportation back to the manor."

"It's only a few blocks from here. We can walk it," Artemis said. "You know, once we find a way out of the car. I think the back door should be fine."

We climbed out the back door and walked back to the manor.

"Artemis," I said when we got to the driveway. "Look."

I pointed down the drive to the small black car at the other end of the driveway. Juliet's car.

Butler and Juliet were back.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Holly

"Perfect timing," I muttered. "I can't believe I thought we'd actually get away with doing it over the phone."

Artemis chuckled and squeezed my hand. "Forget the announcement. What is Juliet going to say when she sees you? She doesn't even know that you and I are talking again. Imagine the shock she'll be getting."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Well, here goes nothing."

Juliet was on me as soon as I walked through the door.

Artemis and I walked into the kitchen as Juliet was at the sink washing dishes. Without looking up, she said, "You know, Artemis, it wouldn't kill you to do the dishes once in a while."

"Sorry," I muttered. "That's my fault. I told him I'd do them."

"Holly?" Juliet whirled around. "Holly!" She dropped the plate and ran over, picking me up and crushing me against her in a bear hug that she obviously learned from her brother. "What are you doing here? The last time I saw you…"

"Juliet," I choked out. "Can't… breathe."

"Oops," Juliet said. She set me on my feet, and I stumbled backwards. Artemis grabbed my arm, steadying me. "I think you're worse than your brother," I muttered.

She shrugged. "Sorry."

Artemis grinned and leaned down and whispered in my ear, "And we haven't even to her the news yet."

I smacked him once and walked over to sit at the table. Artemis took up the seat beside me, while Juliet went back to the sink. "So," she asked, "Why are you up here? I thought you two were mad at each other."

"We were," I replied.

Juliet looked at me. "And I don't suppose you just came up here and made up. You're too stubborn for that. So what happened?"

I looked at Artemis. "It's not my decision to tell you that."

The genius rolled his eyes. "It's fine, Holly." He looked at Juliet, who was still watching us expectantly. "You might want to sit down."

When Artemis finished, Juliet shook her head. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," she chuckled. She looked at me. "I bet you guys were glad it wasn't ransom again."

I nodded. "Yeah, thank Frond. We're still in debt from the last time."

There was silence for a minute after the mention of 'the last time', but thankfully it passed quickly.

"So how are they getting along?" Juliet asked. "If Samantha is anywhere near as stubborn you, then she's bound to hate Artemis's guts until she gets a good reason not to. No offense, by the way."

"None taken."

"I haven't noticed any kind of sparring going on between them," Artemis said. "They seem to be getting on just fine."

"I haven't either," I said, a little surprised. "But who knows. Maybe he apologized."

"Who?" A deep voice asked.

All heads turned. Butler was standing in the doorway. He walked in and sat down in a chair opposite his sister. "Who apologized?"

"We were talking about Artemis and Samantha," Juliet said. "They said they haven't seen the two of them fighting. Holly said he might have apologized and that's why they seem to be getting along."

Butler shrugged. "Maybe. It's possible. They really are getting along rather well. I haven't noticed any problems between them either."

"Hmm…" murmured Artemis. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Do we tell them now?"

"Um… Maybe," I said, swallowing hard. "I was thinking we should wait until everyone is here. I'm loath to have to tell anyone once, let alone twice."

"Tell us what?"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Artemis II

Holly jumped, her hand tightening in mine as she tensed. "What do you mean?"

Butler grinned. "Come on, Holly. I may be old, but I'm not deaf. What do you want to tell us?"

"We… Um, I- I mean…" Holly panicked, looking at me for support. "Uh…"

I squeezed her hand gently. "It's alright." I turned to Butler.

"Nothing, as of right now. We have an announcement to make, but I think it's best to wait until everyone gets here. Or at least the kids…"

"What about us?" said a voice from the doorway.

I turned and winced. My son was standing in the doorway, his head cocked thoughtfully.

Sam appeared behind him a few seconds later. "What's going on?"

"Perfect timing," I heard Holly mutter. I threw a warning glance at her.

"Come sit down," I said, gesturing to the few extra empty seats at the table.

"The kids are here," Butler said, looking at me smugly. "Now what is it?"

"I don't want to tell you right now, as I still have a few phone calls to make. I want the whole family to be present so we only have to do this once."

"Artemis, your killing me," Juliet groaned. "Just tell us."

I looked at Holly. "I can always tell everyone else over the phone," I said softly.

"Okay," the elf stuttered. "S-so we tell everyone else now?"

"Watch, it won't be as hard as you think," I said. Grabbing her hand, I lifted it, putting it flat in the center of the table, spreading her fingers out so that everyone could see.

My son gasped. "Is that…?"

"Yes, I think it is," Butler murmured. "An engagement ring." A smile broke out across his face as he looked up at me. "How in the world did you con her into that?"

I shook my head. "I honestly have not the slightest clue. I must have caught her with her guard down."

"Maybe," the elf agreed. "Are you saying I made a mistake?"

"Oh no," I said, grabbing her and pulling her in. "That's not what I said at all. Why? Do you think you made a mistake?"

She pretended to think about it for a moment. "No," she decided, snuggling up closer to me. "I think I made the right choice. I kind of like it here."

Butler grinned again. "Well, you two sure made us wait long enough. Now it's time to seal the deal. Kiss."

Holly gave him a look. "Don't you do that at the wedding? Seal the deal with a kiss, I mean."

"Doesn't mean you can't do it now," Juliet commented. "Unless you don't plan on kissing him again until then."

"What's wrong, Juliet? Don't believe us?" I teased.

Juliet snorted. "Can't be too safe," the girl said.

"I think she's enjoying this," Holly muttered.

Juliet grinned tightly, a definite yes, and looked at Butler. They started chanting, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

"Alright, alright!" I looked at Holly and sighed. "Come on. They won't shut up any other way."

She sighed too. "Okay, Artemis," she said with nod.

I put my hand on the back of her neck, slowly leaning down until our faces weren't even an inch apart, and kissed her. I held her there for a few seconds before pulling back. She bit her lip and smiled up at me. I ruffled her hair once, then leaned down and kissed her again.

"I love you, Holly," I whispered.

"I love you, Arty."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Artemis III

"Artemis, we need to talk to you."

I looked up. My dad was standing over me, Holly next to him. "Can we talk?" she asked softly.

I nodded, already sitting up. "Of course. What do you need?"

He sat down across from me, pulling her down beside him. "I have a confession to make," he said, looking me square in the eye. "I lied to you, Artemis. That woman… she wasn't really your mother."

I looked at him, eyeing him suspiciously. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

He held his hand up. "I'm getting to that."

"I told you she was your mother because Holly was gone, and at that point I didn't was coming back. I figured it was better that way. But I was wrong, and I realize that now. I shouldn't have kept this from you for so long." He looked at the ground, evidently no longer able to meet my eyes.

"What are you saying?" I demanded. "Dad?"

He sighed, swallowing hard once before answering. He never actually looked at me, his head in his hands as he spoke. "Holly… she was… is… your mother, Artemis. Not the other girl. Holly."

"No. No!" I jumped up. "That's not true. It can't be."

"If it helps, Artemis," Holly said quietly, "He kept it from me too. I just found out myself recently."

"Oh yeah, cause you didn't know you had a kid, right," I said scathingly. "I'm supposed to believe that."

"B-but I didn't," Holly stuttered, looking hurt. "I-I mean, I knew I had you, but I was told that you died during birth. I didn't find out until we got back from Koboi Enterprises that night! I thought he was joking too, but he's not! He's telling the truth! I would have told you myself, but-"

"Oh, save it!" I yelled at her. "Even if it is the truth, you knew, and you didn't tell me! That's not right!" I turned and ran from the room, heading out the door and down the street without looking back.

I ran without really any sense of direction until I had a stitch in my side and couldn't breathe. Then I ran to the nearest patch of trees, dropping to my knees in the cover of the shadows, and passed out.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Holly

"That didn't go as well as I hoped," Artemis said with a sigh as we watched his son run from the room. "Artemis!" he called. "Wait!"

He started to turn and run after him, but I grabbed his arm. "Maybe… maybe I should go."

"No. I did this. I should have to go after him. Besides, he'll listen to me better than you."

"Please," I pleaded. "Let me try. If I can't convince him, I'll come get you. Besides, you don't even know where he could be."

"And you do?" he asked, eyebrows raised skeptically.

"I have a few ideas," I admitted. "Please?"

"Holly…" he sighed. "I just don't want you to get hurt. Artemis… he can be pretty harsh when he gets upset. Are you sure you can handle it? That you even want to?"

"I can handle it," I promised.

He sighed. "Okay. Go. But call me if you need anything. Okay?"

I grinned and hugged him once before heading out the door. "Thanks, Arty." I slid out and closed the door behind me before he could remember to protest about me calling him Arty.

I walked out of the manor, looking around slowly for any sign of the boy. He had to be around here somewhere, as he couldn't have gone far because it had only taken me a few minutes to get out here.

I spotted him a few yards down the street, running so fast you'd think he was being chased by demons. I darted off after him.

He headed straight down the street, running for so long that I would have lost him long ago if I didn't have the endurance I did from working with the LEP. Finally, he darted off to the side, into the cover of the trees.

He barely made it five feet before collapsing onto the ground, unconscious.

I bent over him, concerned, but it was just exhaustion. I moved the unconscious boy over to a nearby tree trunk, laying him down and covering him with my jacket.

I sat down beside him, gently stroking his hair back off his forehead. He reminded me of his father when he slept. He looked so peaceful with out all the stress lines that he usually wore.

Artemis stirred slightly, and I jumped. He murmured something incomprehensible and rolled over.

I could tell he was going to wake, so I stood and walked over to a nearby tree, leaning on it to give him some space. Okay, I thought as the boy rolled back over. This is it. Here goes nothing.

I just had time to think that last thought before Artemis emitted a low grown and opened his eyes.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Artemis III

When I finally woke up, I was still in the woods, lying at the base of a tree with someone's jacket over me.

I lifted it up. There was a small name tag on the right side.

Even without being able to read the symbols I would have known right away who's jacket it was.

I sat up, taking the jacket and putting it on a nearby branch. Then I turned to the seemingly empty forest around me. "Holly!" I called. I kept my voice low, but I didn't need to have it loud anyways because it echoed off the trees and greenery around me. "I know you're there, so you might as well just drop your shield." I paused for a brief moment, but nothing happened. I sighed. "I'm not mad at you, you know," I said softly. "I won't yell at you, if that's what you're afraid of."

There was a barely audible sigh and Holly appeared, leaning on a tree across from me.

"I'm not scared of you, Artemis," she whispered. "I'm just worried. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said. "Here's your jacket back, too," I said, handing it to her. She took it hesitantly. "I don't need it." I looked at her, studying her face carefully. She looked back at me warily. "Are you sure you're not scared?"

"I'm just nervous of what you're going to say," Holly admitted. She moved over and came to stand beside me. "You- you don't hate me, do you?" she asked, a bit shakily.

"What? No! I just-" I sighed. "I'm just frustrated, Holly, and not even at you. It's dad. I mean… why wouldn't he tell me? Don't I deserve to know?"

"Of course," Holly said quietly. "At least in my opinion. But it wasn't my choice. I wasn't here to stop him, Artemis, and that's my fault. I should have-"

"No," I interrupted. "Stop that. It wasn't your fault, and even if you had been here, you probably couldn't have stopped him. We Fowls can be very persuasive when we want to be."

"You're telling me," Holly muttered. "So your not mad?"

"Not at you," I promised. "And I'm sorry for going off on you like that. It was wrong, and I know that, I just couldn't hold it in any longer."

"It's okay," she said, laying a hand on my shoulder. "Apology accepted. Trust me, I know how it is sometimes. It can be a lot to handle."

I nodded, looking over at her. Our eyes met, and in that one moment I saw what she was feeling, all the overwhelming emotions, just by looking in her eyes. Now I knew why when dad wanted to get the truth out of her he tilted her head up and forced her to meet his eyes.

I couldn't help it; I leaned over and hugged her, squeezing her tight. "You know," I said softly, "If I had to wait all these years to find out my mom was still alive, find out who she was and meet her, I'm glad you were the one it turned out to be." Then I let her go, turning away from her and the shocked look on her face and headed out of the forest without looking back at her until I reached the edge of the trees. Then I looked back at her. She was still standing there, staring at me, never having moved. "Are you coming?"

She nodded stiffly, slowly coming out of whatever trance she was in and followed me out into the street. "You really mean that?"

"Yeah," I said. "You're probably nicer than some of the alternatives." I glanced at her,a slight smile on my face. "And besides, you make dad happy. And as long as he's happy, and you are happy, that's all that really matters to me."

Holly was quiet for a moment before finally muttering softly under her breath, "Thank you."

I nodded. "You're welcome. It's only the truth." I paused briefly before adding, "And just so you know… don't think this means I'm going to start calling you mom."

She smiled and shook her head slightly. "Okay, Artemis. You can call me what you want, Holly if that's what you prefer. I think it might be what I prefer as well."

"Holly it is," I said. She smiled and looked at the ground, and I smiled too. Maybe this wasn't such bad news.

We walked back to the manor with out another word. But the silence wasn't awkward. It was comfortable, and truth be told I felt more at peace right now than I had for a while.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Artemis II

"That didn't go as well as I hoped," I sighed as Holly and I watched our son run from the room. "Artemis!" I called, turning around. "Wait!"

Holly grabbed my arm. "Maybe… maybe I should go."

"No. I did this. I should have to go after him. Besides, he'll listen to me better than you."

"Please," she begged. "Let me try. If I can't convince him, I'll come get you. Besides, you don't even know where he could be."

I raised my eyebrows. "And you do?"

"I have a few ideas," she admitted. She leaned closer. "Please?"

"Holly…" I sighed softly. "I just don't want you to get hurt. Artemis… he can be pretty harsh when he gets upset. Are you sure you can handle it? That you even want to?"

"I can handle it," she insisted.

I sighed. "Okay. Go. But call me if you need anything. Okay?"

She grinned and hugged me tightly before heading out the door. "Thanks, Arty." Then she hurriedly slid out and closed the door behind her.

"Don't call me Arty," I muttered, but she was already gone. I sighed and walked out, shaking my head.

I went up to my room, laying on my bed and messing with the Cube for a while. I got up and paced for a bit too, but then my legs got tired so I sat back down again.

Then someone was there, leaning over me. Hands were placed over my eyes, and a voice whispered, "Guess who."

"Hmm…" I murmured. I spun around, my arms automatically circling around her waist. "You."

"Not fair," Holly whined. "You cheat."

I leaned down, pressing my face into her neck for a minute before moving my lips up to her ear. "I never claimed to play by the rules. And you're one to talk about cheating. You snuck up behind me and put your hands over my eyes! How is that fair?"

She laughed. "We'll, I never claimed to play by the rules either, Mud Boy, so get over it!"

I shook my head. "Whatever." Setting her on her feet, I took her hand and asked, "How'd it go with Artemis?"

She shrugged. "Pretty well, I guess. He's still pretty mad at you, but I think I got most of it sorted out."

I nodded. "He has every right to be mad. I shouldn't have kept it a secret for so long. From him or you."

She squeezed my hand. "It's okay. I forgive you."

I sighed, pulling her in. "Good. Now we just have to work on him."

A loud beeping suddenly filled the room. Holly stiffened in my arms. "What was that?"

"The Cube." I walked over to it and picked it up.

Holly walked up beside me. "What's wrong with it?"

"I don't know," I murmured, examining it closely. I set it back down with a sigh. "I'll worry about it later. Come on. Lets go see if Butler started lunch yet."

We walked out of the room, going down to the kitchen. Everyone else was already there, sitting down at the table. They looked up when we entered.

Butler smiled when he saw us. "I was just about to call for you guys. Come in and sit down."

Holly and I took seats at the table. Most of lunch passed in silence. Nobody just really felt like talking. Afterwards, we all parted ways, and I went back up to my room. I walked over to the desk with the intention of getting the C Cube and figuring out what that weird beeping noise was.

But when I looked for it, I couldn't find it. I searched high and low, practically tearing the room apart. Finally, I flopped down on the bed with a sigh, dropping my head in my hands.

This was bad. The C Cube was gone, nowhere to be found. I swore I left it on the desk in here when Holly and I left earlier. Where could it have went? It couldn't have just disappeared into thin air. So where was it?

There was plenty of possible explanations, and only one I could think of that made since.

The C Cube had been stolen.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Artemis II

"Okay, okay," I muttered. "Don't panic. Don't panic. You need help. Who can help you?" I paused, think about it, and snapped my fingers when I figured it out.

I snatched my computer off the desk, quickly typing in the address needed and pressing enter.

The Operations Booth appeared, expanding to fill the screen. "Foaly!" I shouted.

The centaur jumped and turned around to face me. "Look who it is," he said. "How can I be of service today, Mud Boy?"

"Have you started to hack the C Cube yet?" I demanded.

"Why?" he asked suspiciously.

"I need to know. The C Cube has come up missing, and I'm thinking it might have been stolen. I didn't have everything transferred so I could use it from my computer too; which means I have no access to it without the actually cube beside me. I was wondering-"

"You wanted to know if I had any access to it yet, either?" I nodded, and Foaly sighed. "Of course. I started earlier, but I haven't gotten much done. I'm barely inside the first protective barriers."

I groaned. "Is there any way we could get together and finish hacking in completely so I can shut it down?"

"Nope," the centaur answered. "Not unless you're coming down here."

"Well, how fast can you get me a visa?"

"Hmm… I could send one up right now. Are you coming alone?"

"Coming alone where?"

I turned. Holly was standing in the doorway, looking at me curiously.

"Busted," Foaly muttered. I flicked the screen as a warning before turning back to the elf in the doorway.

"Foaly and I were discussing a new project, and he wants me to come down to Haven and work on it with him. But he needed to know if I was bringing anyone with me so he could send some visas up."

"Hmm… I could go, but what about Sam and Artemis? We can't leave them here by themselves."

"Butler and Juliet will be here. They'll be perfectly fine," I assured her. "So are you coming or not?"

"Count me in," she said, leaning against me. I circled my arm around her and smiled. I turned back to Foaly. "Okay, make that two visas."

"Two visas, coming up," Foaly murmured.

"Literally."

"Yes, quite," he agreed. "There, they should be on the way."

"Great. Thanks, Foaly. We'll see you soon."

"Whatever, Mud Boy," the centaur sighed. Then he broke the connection.

"So, what aren't you telling me?"

I turned to look at Holly. "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not deaf, Artemis. You wouldn't have been "busted" if there wasn't something to bust. Now, what did you do?"

"I told you, we're working on a new project," I repeated. "That's all."

She squinted her eyes at me, trying to decide whether I was lying or not. "What's it about then?" she asked finally.

I hesitated. She had me there. "It's a surprise," I said after a minute.

"Liar," she said confidently.

"Maybe," I admitted. "Either way, I'm not telling you until I'm ready, so you might as well give it up."

She fake pouted. "Why not?"

"Again, because its a surprise." I bent down and kissed her forehead. "Don't worry; you'll find out soon enough. Now come on, lets get ready to go."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Holly

"SHORT!"

I winced. I had been hoping to sneak past Trouble Kelp's office to my own to pick up some papers, without being discovered. Unfortunately, this plan did not work. Now he was going to know that I neglected to do my paperwork…

With a sigh, I turned around and headed back to his door.

I opened it just enough to peek my head in. "Yes, Commander?"

"Get in here, Captain," Trouble said, motioning with his hand. I sighed but complied, coming in and occupying the chair in front of him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Artemis wanted to come down here and work on a project with Foaly, so I came down with him."

"What, couldn't stand to be separated from your lover's side?" he asked teasingly.

I said nothing. I wanted to argue that Artemis was not my "lover", as he put it, but didn't when I realized that pretty much covered what our relationship was turning into. After all, I was his fiancée now.

"Be that as it may," the commander continued, "that's not what I meant. Why are you here, at the Police Plaza? Shouldn't you be with him, presumably in the Ops Booth?"

I cleared my throat. Busted. "Yeah, uh, about that… I forgot my paperwork when I went back up, so I was going to get it now so I could finish it."

Kelp sighed and dropped his head in his hands. "Captain Short," he groaned. "I understand you might have some… preoccupations, above ground with Fowl, but you can't neglect your work because of it. I'll let it slid this time, but I want that paperwork done and back here ASAP. Understand?"

"Yes, Trouble."

"Commander."

"Yes, Commander," I said with an eye roll.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Short."

"Captain Short, Commander. Captain."

"Captain Short." He ground his teeth. "Whatever. Go get your papers and get out of here."

"Yessir." I smiled as I turned to the door. Annoying Trouble was still one of my favorite pastimes, commander or not. He would never actually fire me, at least, not for that.

I was still smiling as I walked into the Ops Booth. But it abruptly dropped when I saw the look on Foaly's face. "Foaly?" I ran over to him, smacking his face lightly as I tried to knock him out of whatever stupor had overtaken him.

Suddenly I felt hands grabbing mine, pulling them and me back into the person who'd come up behind me. "It's alright, Holly, he's just in shock. He'll be fine."

I turned my head, looking up at Artemis's face worriedly. "What happened?"

"I told him the news," he answered. "Just before you walked in, actually." "So he's only been like that for a few seconds," I said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Good." Then I twisted in his arms, tilting my head back and kissing him. He smiled and laughed, pulling me into his chest. I froze. "Arty, I love you and all, but you're crushing my paperwork, and I kinda need it."

"Oh, right," he murmured, releasing me. "Sorry."

This seemed to pull Foaly back into the world. "Wow," he managed.

"Wow," I agreed. "You're okay with it, right? I mean, it's not going to stop me either way, but still..." I looked up into his face.

He regained his composure enough to smile down gently at me. "Of course. You know, just as long as little Mud Boy over here swears to take good care of you." He looked at Artemis and raised his eyebrows.

I blushed, burying my face in Artemis's chest. He patted my back soothingly, laughing the whole time. "Of course. I'd give my life for her. She's the most important thing in the world to me. Well, one of the most important things."

Foaly's expression softened. "Good."

"No, not good," I interrupted. I looked at Artemis. "If you ever even think about doing that again, you'll regret it. It was agonizing enough the first time."

He stared at me for a minute, confused, before the clouds lifted and comprehension dawned. He smiled gently. "Holly, I didn't have a choice. I was a goner either way. And besides, I came back, didn't I?" He sighed at the look I gave him. "Alright, I won't do it again."

"Promise," I demanded.

"Promise," he said softly.

"Good." I punched him in the chest once for good measure, then twisted out of his grasp.

Foaly laughed. "So, are you guys staying in Haven?"

"Er..." I looked at him. "Do you want to?"

"It would certainly make it easier to work," he admitted. "Okay. Your place, then?"

"Yeah." I paused. "I'm heading there now. You coming?"

He nodded. "Sure, why not. We'll talk more tomorrow," he said to Foaly. The centaur nodded, and Artemis followed me out of the Ops Booth.

"So, where exactly is your house down here?" he asked.

"Not too far from the plaza," I said with a shrug. "I moved when I got the job, so I was closer, though I was always just a few minutes late."

"Why?"

"Just to tick Root off," I said with a grin. He smiled and shook his head, and I sighed. "I really miss him sometimes, you know," I whispered, opening the door to my house and holding it open for him.

"I know." He gently grabbed my hand, removing it from the knob, and swung me around so I was inside the door, facing him. He pulled the door shut and quickly turned around and encircled me in his arms. I melted against him, the paperwork falling to the floor, and he held me upright against him, his hands gently stroking through my hair. The feeling of his fingers caressing my scalp felt so good, which was why he had done it in the first place. It was a soothing gesture, and it worked.

"Artemis," I whispered into his chest.

"What is it, Holly?" he asked softly.

I looked up at him. "Kiss me," I pleaded. "Please."

He chuckled once, but did as I asked. The sensation of his lips against mine was exactly what I needed to distract me before I broke down completely. I put my arms around his neck, and he dropped his arms to around my hips.

"Holly," he groaned. "Which direction is your room?"

"Up the stairs, first door on the right," I said.

He lifted me and carried me up there without another word. Pushing open the door, he deposited me on the bed, then curled up beside me, never letting me go, and pulled the blankets up over us.

He kissed me again before pulling back and crushing me into his chest, his hands sliding up into my shirt and roaming across my back. "I love you, Holly."

"I love you, Artemis," I whispered. He leaned down, though I didn't see it, as my face was still pressed into his chest and he obviously planned on making sure it stayed there, and nuzzled my neck. I craned it to the side, giving him as much access as I could in my current position, and he smiled against my neck. He stopped nuzzling me, instead kissing his way up my neck and back down, sliding my sleeves out of his way when he got that far down, and frowning eventually when he realized he could never make it all the way down without it getting in the way.

I sighed, exasperated. "Just take it off," I muttered.

"Really?"

"Don't sound so surprised." I tugged myself out of his grip long enough to slid my shirt over my head, and he smiled again, satisfied. "Happy now?"

"Yes," he answered. Then he went straight back to work, his hand pressing my face back into its previous position in his chest as his face disappeared into the skin of my neck again.

I sighed, contented, and closed my eyes. "Do what you want," I whispered, "but I'm going to sleep."

"Mmm. Really?" he asked softly.

"Yes, yes. I don't care, but just don't wake me up," I warned.

"Okay," he agreed. "I'll be extra especially careful." He grinned, looking down at me for a moment. I shook my head at him, but I couldn't keep the smile from toying with the edges of my lips.

I rested my head fully on his chest, closing my eyes again. I was actually tired, but it still took me a while to fall asleep, as he was really taking me up on my deal of letting him do whatever he wanted. I could feel him, roaming over my body, exploring, uncaring, free of repercussions. His touch was light as a feather, but I could still feel it, and it was very distracting. But eventually, I managed to fall asleep, him still entertained with my body as I drifted into a peaceful sleep, with peaceful dreams. Dreams filled with him.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Artemis II

"Yes!" I crowed. "Foaly, it's finished! I've finally broken down the C Cube's barriers!"

"So we're in?"

"Yes!"

"No way." He came up beside me. "Frond, you actually did it. Now we can shut it down!" He reached for the keyboard.

"Wait! We need the coordinates so I know where to go to get it from!" I grabbed his hands, and he yanked them away.

"Fine, fine! Keep your stupid little Mud Boy hands to yourself." Foaly gave me a look and clicked a button. "Tracing…" he murmured.

The results popped up.

"Oh, Frond," Foaly breathed.

"You can say that again," I agreed. "This is not good."

"Why are you tracing Fission Chips?"

I spun around. "Holly? What are you doing here?"

She raised her eyebrows. "I work here, remember? Besides, is it such a crime that I wanted to drop in and see my fiance? I would have thought you'd be happy to see me?"

"I am happy to see you, darling," I sighed, embracing her. "I just thought you were working."

She shrugged. "I don't care where I'm supposed to be or what I am supposed to be doing, it is what it is I don't care what Trouble says about it. Now, you're avoiding the question. Why are you tracing Fission Chips?"

"Uh…" I pulled back. "Well, you see, I kind of… lost the C Cube, and-"

"You did what?!" she shrieked. "Oh, Artemis, it hasn't even been a week! You've got to be kidding me! I-"

"Holly! Holly, calm down. Seriously, it's fine!" I laid my hands on her shoulders, and squeezed them once. "We've figured out who has it, we've figured out where it is, now all we have to do is retrieve it."

She nodded, seeming satisfied for the moment before her eyes slowly widened. "That's the project you came down here to work on!" she suddenly exclaimed. "The one you said was a "surprise". Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"There was no sense," I said with a shrug. "I had no information to give you, had no idea where it was, nothing. I couldn't even tell for sure that it had been stolen. If when we finally did back into it and it led us back to, say, the manor, then I would have worried you for nothing."

"Oh, so now you're considerate," she muttered. I opened my mouth to retort, but decided against it. Instead I turned back to Foaly. "Alright, we're heading back up. Anything you think we'll need?"

He waved us away. "You know where the equipment rack is. Holly, I think you can handle getting you and the Mud Boy some equipment."

She nodded. "On it, Foaly. Come on, Mud Boy."

She grabbed my arm and started dragging me out of the Ops Booth, rather more harshly than was necessary. Seeing how silent she was as she stalked along to the equipment carts, I guessed she was upset. "Holly," I sighed. "You're not really mad at me for not telling you that the Cube was missing, are you?"

"No," she said, with out looking at me. "I'm ticked at you. There's a difference." She turned to look at me. "I can't believe you lied to me! Excuse me, if after everything we've been through together, I thought I could trust you. The fact that you lied to me, especially about some thing this stupid… it kinda hurts my feelings, no matter what the reason."

I stepped forward, bending over and grabbing her hand. "Holly, this is a stupid thing to be mad over. I wouldn't have lied to you if it was something important."

"This is important!" she protested. "Artemis, he can do some serious damage with that thing! He could expose us to the other Mud Men, or throw us into an inter-species war, or even kill all of us. How is that not important?"

"It is," I said, frowning, "but-"

"No buts," Holly said. "I'll forgive you, this time. But don't let it happen again, ever. I don't care how stupid it is, from now on, I want the truth and only the truth. Clear?"

"Of course, Captain," I agreed. I leaned down and kissed her briefly, then smiled. "Now, have we got everything?"

"Almost." She pulled a Neutrino off the self and tossed it to me, then grabbed one for herself.

I raised my eyebrows when I saw the labels. "2000s? Really, Holly?"

"What? This is my favorite model. Besides, the LEP didn't put good money into new weapons for you to break them. You'll live with an older model." She grinned. "Now, lets go kick some Mud Man butt."

She turned and strode out the door. I shook my head once, then followed her, a small smile on my face.


End file.
